Where Did Uma Thurman Go After Her Quentin Tarantino Movies?

Uma Thurman had been around Hollywood in solid roles nearly a decade prior to appearing in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, although it feels that film is really where it all started. That pattern’s continued with Thurman’s career since, as the actress found high acclaim for her starring role in Kill Bill. Since then, Thurman might have dropped off the face of the earth as far as some are concerned, but that’s not the case.

So what’s Uma Thurman been up to since her last appearance in a Quentin Tarantino film? Quite a lot actually, and this list is here to highlight some of the films the actress has appeared in since 2004. Listed in chronological order, here are some of her bigger movies since then audiences eager to see more can check out.

Be Cool (2005)

Just a year removed from Kill Bill, Uma Thurman found herself as one of the key actors in a star-studded comedy that also stars John Travolta and features folks like Danny DeVito, Andre 3000, The Rock, and Vince Vaughn. Be Cool was a sequel to Get Shorty, with Travolta’s Chili attempting to break into the music business. Thurman plays Edie Athens, the widow of Chili’s friend and on the hook for money owed by the record label.

The film was far less popular with critics than Get Shorty. Director F. Gary Gray has since said part of that was due to him entering the film thinking he was making an R-rated feature, only to be told just ahead of production the goal was for the sequel to be PG-13. Gray told Deadline the film needed edge with its gangsta rap characters and mobsters, and keeping things safe hurt its quality.

The Producers (2005)

Ironically enough, Be Cool wouldn’t be the only film Uma Thurman starred in that year with a plot involving a flop. Thurman played the role of Ulla in the 2005 remake adaptation of the successful Mel Brooks movie-turned-play The Producers. Thurman plays Swedish actress Ulla, who manages to get become a part of the show’s production even before casting has officially begun. She and Leo eventually elope, and all’s well that ends well, for the most part.

The Producers did better than Be Cool in the eyes of critics, but still received middling scores. None of that was due to Thurman’s performance, but rather the thought that a lot of the film in general was better suited to the stage than the film world in general. With that said, the movie did go on to get four Golden Globe nominations, so it’s not as though it was looked down on by everyone.

My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006)

Superheroes have insane, unique abilities that make them close to gods in terms of power, but they have the same desires as average humans. My Super Ex-Girlfriend examines this somewhat, as Uma Thurman plays a super-heroine smitten by Luke Wilson’s Matt who “saves” her from a purse snatcher. The two become the equivalent of Lois Lane and Superman… that is, until things start to get tense.

The two split, and Uma Thurman’s G-Girl proceeds to make Matt’s life a living hell for breaking up with her. It falls in the genre of superhero comedy, although it may not quite have the tone or action of other films like Thor: Ragnarok or Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s a much goofier take, but still features a solid performance from Thurman even if the film isn’t quite a cinematic masterpiece.

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)

2010 featured a rare appearance by Uma Thurman in a genre she’s not seen in all that often: fantasy. Thurman played Medusa in Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief. It’s a rather short cameo, which isn’t all that bad because seeing Thurman with snake hair is quite a frightening visual!

Thurman’s short-lived cameo was almost as short as the prospect of a Percy Jackson film franchise. The franchise had one more film following the first one called Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Sea Of Monsters, and things more or less flat-lined after that. There’s been no talk of rebooting it since, although one would think it won’t be too long before the idea surfaces given the rich source material to draw from.

Nymphomaniac (2013)

For those looking for a darker performance from Uma Thurman, this is the one to hit up. Lars Von Trier’s Nymphomaniac features a supporting role from the actress, as she plays a distressed wife upset at finding her husband has left her for another lover. It’s hard to describe the scene without outright spoiling it, but suffice to say it’s a powerful emotional performance from Thurman that is only seen in some of her best work.

Thurman has just a small part of Nymphomaniac which, as the name suggests, isn’t a film for everybody. Of course, those who enjoyed her in films like Pulp Fiction or Kill Bill probably won’t have a problem with the subject matter, but Lars von Trier does tend to push things quite a bit. It’s a film about sex, so just be prepared to see that explored quite a bit.

Burnt (2015)

Uma Thurman is in another supporting role in Burnt, playing a famous restaurant critic named Simone that Bradley Cooper’s Adam convinces to review his new restaurant. Thurman has a British accent in this role, and she pulls it off well enough one might be encouraged to double check her birthplace and make sure she wasn’t doing an American accent this whole time. For the record, Thurman was born in Boston, Massachusetts.

Overall, Burnt has been sort of a mixed bag in regards to how audiences received it. Many praise Bradley Cooper’s performance as one of the high points, but overall the film is thought to be fairly mediocre in terms of plot and dialogue. It’s not that it’s bad, but more or less a story folks have seen some version of before.

Uma Thurman’s done a few things on the independent film circuit since then, and is due to appear in Netflix’s upcoming supernatural drama Chambers. Fans will be able to check her out there soon enough, and can share their thoughts on Thurman’s best performances outside of a Quentin Tarantino picture in the comments below. For more on Thurman, read up on the major movie opportunity she got some time ago that she now regrets turning down.